Call to Action Feb 5, 2008

Your help is needed in letting the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission’s (TBRC) Finance and Tax Committee know that a sales tax on services (specifically CP0002) is not the answer to the state’s fiscal problems and could possibly impact the state negatively.

REQUEST FOR ACTION

The Finance and Tax Committee is holding a vote on CP0002 http://www.floridatbrc.com/pdf/CP0002.pdf on February 11, 2008, and we need you to voice your concerns to the members of the Finance and Tax Committee and ask them to vote NO on CP0002. Please use the following talking points to personalize your message to the commissioners in opposition to this bad proposal.

CP0002: Sponsored by John McKay, co-sponsored by Darryl Rouson and Les Miller. This proposed constitutional amendment directs the legislature to replace the required local effort (about $8 billion) by repealing sales tax exemptions and exclusions. After F&T, its next stop is the full Commission.

As drafted, CP0002 would create a services tax. After removing business-to-business sales tax exemptions, there is not enough potential revenue raised from repealing sales tax exemptions to meet the $8 billion needed to replace the RLE. Excluded services would have to become taxable.

CP0002 is being touted as “property tax relief” but is not revenue neutral. Non-homestead citizens would be paying new taxes.

As drafted, CP0002 does not prevent local governments from raising the millage rate in the future. This means Floridians would be paying more in sales tax in hopes of not paying property tax, but have no guarantee that they won’t be paying more in property tax again down the road.

CP0002 creates too much uncertainty as citizens would not know what exemptions would be repealed. Businesses making decisions on whether or not to come to Florida or those currently in the state would be subject to financial uncertainty.

Please comment on the fact that a services tax would have a negative impact on your business. You should also indicate that you do not oppose a review of sales tax exemptions if it is NOT mandatory, does NOT include a sunset of exemptions, and is NOT in the constitution.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Please contact the members below with your “VOTE NO” message at the email address provided before 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 7, 2008. Note: we do not have the personal emails for some of the commissioners. Therefore, you can go to the link provided and click on the mail symbol at the end of their bio and complete your email in the space provided. If you would prefer to fax or call the Commission to let them know your opposition you can fax the TBRC at (850) 921-0492 or call the TBRC at (850) 921-8905.

FOLLOW UP
We need to keep track of which commissioners have been contacted, so please email us at govaffairs@ficpa.org and let us know who you have contacted and how. We appreciate your help in defeating this bad proposal.

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